Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-03

III tIltlI uduuS, ana 1mmeu1alely IN front
of us was our friend Agon, the High Priest,
with his curious cap upon his head. His
was the only covered head in that vast as
| semblage. We took our stand upon the
braz>n space, little knowing what was pre-
pared for us beneath: but noticed a curl
Gus kissing sound, proceeding apparently
| from the floor, for which I could not &C
count. Then came pause, and I looked
round to see If there was any sign of the
two queens. Nyleptha and Sorais, but they
were not there. To the right of US, how
ever, was bare space, that guessed was
reserved for them.
| We waited, and presently far-off trum-
pet blew, apparently high up in the dome.
| Then came another murmur from the null
| titude; and up long lane, leading to the
| open space to our right, we saw the two
| queens walking side by side. Behind them
were some mobiles of the court. among
| whom recognized the great lord Nasta,
and behind them again body of about
| fifty guards. These last / was very glad
to see. Presently they had all arrived and
taken their stand, the two queens in the
front, the mobiles to the right and left, and
the guards in double semicircle behind
them. Then came another silence, and
Nyleptha looked up and caught my eye;
it seemed to me that there was meaning in
her glance, and l watched it narrowly
From my eye it travelled down to the brazen
flooring, on the outer edge of which we
stood. Then followed slight and almost
imperceptible Sidelong movement of the
head. did not understand it, and it was
repeated. Then | guessed that she meant
US to move back off the brazen floor One
more glance and | was sure of it-there
was danger in standing on the floor Sir
Henry was placed on one side of me, UNI
slopogaas on the other Keeping my eyes
fixed straight before me, I whispered to
them, first in Zulu and then in English.
to draw slowly back inch by inch til half
their feet were resting on the marble floor
ing where the brass ceased Sir Henry
whispered on to Good and Alphonse. and
slowly, very, very slowly, we shifted back.
ward; so slowly indeed that nobody, ex-
cent Nyleptha and Sorais, who saw every
thing, seemed to notice the movement
Then I glanced again at Nyleptha and
saw that, by an almost imperceptible nod,
she indicated approval. All the while
Agcn's eyes were fixed upon the altar be
fore him apparently in an ecstasy of con.
temptation, and mine were fixed upon the
small of his back in another sort of ecstasy.
Then suddenly he flung up his long arms,
and in a solemn and resounding voice
commenced a chant, of which, for conven-
fence sake, append rough, a UeTy rough
translation here, though, of course ! Gid
not then comprehend its meaning. 1t was
an invocation to the Sun, and ran some
what as follows:
There is silence upon the face of the Earth and
the waters thereofi
Yea, the silence doth brood on the waters like |
a nesting bird;
The silence sleepeth also upon the bosom of |
the profound darkness.
Only high up in the great spaces star doth cry |
unto star.
The Earth is faint with longing and wet with |
the tears of her desire;
The star-girdled night doth embrace her, but |
she IS not cOmfOrted
She lies enshrouded in mists like a corpse in |
the grave-clotheS,
And stretches her pale hands to the East.
Lol away in the farthest East there is the
The Earth seeth and lifts herself She looks |
out from beneath the hollow of her hand.
Then thy great angels fly forth from thy holy |
place, oh Sun.
They shoot their fiery swords into the dark
ness and shrivel it up.
They climb up the heavens and cast down the |
pale stars from their thrones;
Yea, they hurl the changeful stars back into |
the womb of the night;
They cause the moon to become wan as the |
face of dying man,
And behold! Thy glory comes. oh Sun!
Oh, thou beautiful one, thou drapest myself |
in fire,
The wide heavens are thy pathway; thou roll
est DER them as a chariot.
The earth is thy bride. Thou dost embrace |
her, and she brings forth children;
Yea, thou favorest her, and she yields her in
crease.
Thou art the All Father and the giver of life, |
oh Sun!
The young children stretch out their hands |
and grow in thy-brightness;
The OLD men creep Tortn and seeing remember |
their strength.
Only the dead forget thee, oh SUM-
When thou art wroth, then thou dost hide thy |
face:
Then the Earth grows cold and the Heavens
are GiSmayed;
They tremble, and the sound thereof is the |
sound of thunder;
They weep, and their tears ars outpoured into
the rain;
They sigh, and the wild winds are the voice
of their sighing
The flowers die. the fruitful fields anguish
and turn pale;
The old men and the little children go unto
their appointed place
When thou withdrawest thy light, oh Sun!
Say what art thou, oh Thou matchless Splen-
Who set thee on high, oh Thou flaming Terror?
When didst thou begin, and when is the day of
thy endingi
Thou art the raiment of the living Spirit.
None did place thee on nigh, for thou vast the
Beginning.
Thou shalt not be ended when thy children
are forgotten;
Nay, thou shalt never end, for thy hours are
eternal
Thou sittest on high within thy golden house
and meaSureth out the centuries.
Oh, Father OF Life! OH dark-dispelling sun!
He ceased this solemn chant, which,
though it seems poor enough thing after
going through my mill, is really beautiful
and impressive in the original; and then,
after moments pause, he glanced up to-
ward the funnel sloped opening in the
dome and added:
Oh Sun. descend upon thine altar.
To be continued.
Queer Human Nature